Kyle Shurmur and Chase Litton will have a big opportunity vs. Packers

The injury to Chad Henne changes things for the Kansas City Chiefs at the backup QB position.

They’ve brought in veteran QB Matt Moore to fill Henne’s role, and he seems primed to become the backup QB in Kansas City. But this injury also opens up a big opportunity for the young QBs on the Chiefs’ roster.

Chase Litton joined the Chiefs a season ago and spent the entire 2018 season on the practice squad. He’s seen firsthand the work that an MVP season takes. Kyle Shurmur just joined the Chiefs this offseason as an undrafted free agent. He’s caught the eye of the coaching staff throughout training camp and earned repetitions ahead of Litton during the preseason.

The fact that Henne’s injury happened before the fourth and final preseason game, well that gives both Litton and Shurmur a chance to go out and shine. According to Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, both Shurmur and Litton will get a full half of play time on Thursday against the Packers. Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy spoke about the opportunity that both players would have on Thursday.

“I think what it does is that it gives these two kids an opportunity to go out and display what they are and who they are,” Bieniemy said. “I’m excited. I’m sure they’re excited. But like I said, you never really want to see anyone get hurt. Like I’ve always said, in this industry, without some bad luck, some of us wouldn’t have any good luck at all.”

Without injuries in this game, some players would never get an opportunity to go out there and prove they have what it takes. Just look at Damien Williams last season. He was buried on the depth chart and suddenly he is thrust into a starting role. Now, he’s earned a starting job in Kansas City.

These two young quarterbacks have already shown Bieniemy some things throughout this preseason and he’s still looking for more from them this week.

“Both of these kids have been pretty consistent,” Bieniemy said. “One thing these kids do, they come out and are very stoic in their behavior. They want to make sure that they get the call right. They want to make sure that they are seeing it the right way. But also, too, they want feedback on the sidelines. These guys are good kids. They’re competitive. One thing I’m excited about is just watching these guys play.”

With the spotlight on both of these young players, which one will emerge on the other side successful? Can they both show that they have what it takes to become a quarterback that belongs on a 53-man roster, either in Kansas City or elsewhere? Tune in on Thursday as the Chiefs face the Packers in Green Bay to find out.